Carroll Parrott Blue facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Carroll Parrott Blue
Born	Carroll Ann Parrott August 23, 1943 Houston, Texas, U.S.
Died	December 11, 2019 (aged 76) Houston, Texas, U.S.
Nationality	American
Alma mater	Boston University (B.A.) UCLA (M.F.A.)
Known for	Documentary film, interactive multimedia art
Movement	L.A. Rebellion

Carroll Parrott Blue (born August 23, 1943 – died December 11, 2019) was an American filmmaker, director, and author. She lived in Houston, Texas. She was an important part of the L.A. Rebellion film movement. Blue was known for her documentary films and interactive art projects. Her most famous work was The Dawn at My Back: Memoir of a Black Texas Upbringing. She was also a research professor at the University of Houston. Carroll Parrott Blue worked hard to save and celebrate the history of the African American community in Houston.

Early Life and Education

Carroll Parrott Blue was born in Houston, Texas, on August 23, 1943. She grew up in Houston's Third Ward during a time called the segregation era. This was a period when people of different races were kept apart in many places.

During her childhood, Blue's mother, Mollie Carroll Parrott, worked with groups that fought for civil rights. These groups helped to end unfair treatment based on race. Blue finished high school at Jack Yates Colored High School.

In 1960, Blue started college at Boston University. She earned her Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in English literature in 1964. Later, in 1980, she earned her Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree in film production from the University of California, Los Angeles.

What Was Carroll Parrott Blue's Career Like?

Carroll Parrott Blue's documentary films often focused on women of the African diaspora. This means women of African descent living around the world. Her films also explored visual arts themes. Blue created multimedia projects where people could participate. These projects grew out of her documentary work.

Her project The Dawn at My Back was about her own life story. It mixed film, writing, and hypermedia (like interactive digital content). This project led to a non-profit group called The Dawn Project. It also inspired Third Ward Storymapping, which mapped stories from a Houston neighborhood.

Blue's work mainly involved documentaries, African American cinema, and digital media for communities. She also worked in television. Some of her TV programs include Varnette's World: A Study of a Young Artist (1979) and parts of Smithsonian World (1996) and NOVA (2007).

The L.A. Rebellion Film Movement

Blue was a key part of the L.A. Rebellion filmmaking movement (1967-1989). Other filmmakers in this group included Julie Dash and Charles Burnett. These filmmakers wanted to show black people in a real and positive way. They worked against the negative ways Hollywood often showed black characters.

Filming African Americans in their own communities was very important to this group. As filmmaker Zeinabu Irene Davis said, their goal was to "represent, reflect on, and enrich the day-to-day lives of people in our own communities."

In 1980, Blue became a professor emerita at San Diego State University. This means she retired but kept her title.

Notable Films and Projects

Blue's documentary Conversations with Roy DeCarava (1983) is a highly respected film. It explores the work and life of photographer Roy DeCarava in Harlem. She also made a documentary about Ghanaian sculptor El Anatsui. This film helped to start his career. Blue was also a producer fellow for the American Film Institute in 1984 and 1985.

The Dawn at My Back: A Memoir of a Black Texas Upbringing (2003) was more than just a book. It was also a DVD-ROM and a website. This project looked at Blue's family history and the history of Houston's black community. It won an award at the Sundance Online Film Festival in 2004. It was also named one of the best publications by the American Library Association that year.

Work at the University of Houston

From 2006 to 2015, Blue was a research professor at the University of Houston. While there, she got a grant of $100,000 to help artists and architects improve the community. In 2011 and 2012, she was a visiting scholar at the Harvard Graduate School of Design.

Community Work in Houston

Blue cared deeply about making positive changes in Houston. She started SEHTA, which stands for the Southeast Houston Transformation Alliance. Through SEHTA, she used storytelling, interactive multimedia, and public art to help the Southeast Houston area. SEHTA collected stories from the community. It also combined these stories with facts to reach academics, developers, and donors. She helped create artwork at the Palm Center Transit Center. She also worked to improve Houston's Emancipation Park.

After Hurricane Harvey hit in 2017, Blue helped create a "storymap" for the Third Ward. This project collected stories from Houston residents who were affected by the storm.

Awards and Recognition

Carroll Parrott Blue's work The Dawn at My Back: Memoir of a Texas Upbringing won the 2004 Sundance Online Film Festival Viewers Award. This award was in the New Forms Gallery category.

In 2007, she was named a Fellow of the World Academy of Art and Science.

When Did Carroll Parrott Blue Die?

Carroll Parrott Blue passed away on December 11, 2019. Her death was reported in the Houston Defender newspaper. The cause of her death is not known.

Selected Films by Carroll Parrott Blue

Carroll Parrott Blue produced, directed, and wrote several films. Here are some of them:

Selected Writings by Carroll Parrott Blue

As an author, Carroll Parrott Blue often mixed text with pictures and still images in her work.

One of her poems, called Sometimes a poem is Twenty Years of Memory: 1967-1987, shares some of her experiences from early in her career. It talks about how her race, gender, and community affected her work in the film industry. The poem describes both good and challenging experiences she had.